The present invention relates to product checkout devices and more specifically to an item checkout device including a bar code data collector and a produce data collector.
Bar code readers are well known for their usefulness in retail checkout and inventory control. Bar code readers are capable of identifying and recording most items during a typical transaction since most items are labeled with bar codes.
Items which are typically not identified and recorded by a bar code reader are produce items, since produce items are typically not labeled with bar codes. Bar code readers may include a scale for weighing produce items to assist in determining the price of such items. But identification of produce items is still a task for the checkout operator, who must identify a produce item and then manually enter an item identification code. Operator identification methods are slow and inefficient because they typically involve a visual comparison of a produce item with pictures of produce items. Operator identification methods are also prone to error, on the order of fifteen percent.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a produce recognition system which can minimize operator involvement in produce identification and entry into a transaction. It would also be desirable to provide a combined bar code reader and produce recognition system in order to maintain operator focus for item entry on a single area of a checkout counter, the area where the bar code reader is located.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, an item checkout device including a bar code data collector and a produce data collector is provided.
The item checkout device includes a housing, a bar code data collector within the housing, and a produce data collector within the housing.
In a preferred embodiment, the item checkout device includes an optical bar code data collector including a first housing, a scale within the first housing, a weigh plate on the scale including a first window for allowing scanning light beams from optical bar code data collector to pass and a second window, and a produce data collector within the first housing including a second housing containing an aperture adjacent the second window, a light source for illuminating a produce item on the second window with substantially uniform light, a light separating element for splitting light collected from the produce item into a plurality of different light portions having different wavelengths, a detector for converting energy in the plurality of light portions into a plurality of electrical signals, and control circuitry which digitizes the plurality of electrical signals to produce a digital spectrum from the produce item which contains information to identify the produce item for the purpose of determining its unit price.
A method of the recording a purchase of a produce item under the present invention includes the steps of generating substantially uniform light from within a housing of an item checkout device including a bar code data collector and a scale, illuminating the produce item as it rests upon a window in a weigh plate on the scale, recording a weight of the produce item as it rests upon the window in the weigh plate, determining a digital spectrum from light collected from the produce item, comparing the digital spectrum to reference spectra to identify the produce item, and determining price information for the produce item from weight information and identification information.
It is a feature of the preferred embodiment of the present invention that the item checkout device combines a produce data collector with an optical bar code data collector into a single checkout device without disturbing operation of the optical bar code data collector.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an item checkout device including a bar code data collector and a produce data collector.
It is another object of the present invention to insert a produce data collector into an optical bar code scanner without interfering with the laser beam emitted by the optical bar code scanner.
It is another object of the present invention to use the same checkout space for recognizing produce as is used for reading bar codes.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a produce data collector which is small enough to be mounted within a bar code scanner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a single item checkout device which includes both a bar code data collector and a produce data collector.